GOOD statement by Saul Markgraff,
GOOD: City of Cape Town Councillor
20 January 2021
Note to editor: this was the statement made by Good City of Cape Town Councillor, Saul Markgraff, while picketing the proposed closure of Rocklands and Eastridge clinics in Mitchell’s Plain today. Cllr Markgraff also handed over a petition to the Executive Mayor of Cape Town. Cllr Markgraff was joined by the City of Cape Town GOOD Caucus.
GOOD opposes the proposed closure of clinics which provide basic healthcare to the people of Mitchell’s Plain by the DA-run administration in the City of Cape Town. To this end we have handed over a petition to the Office of the Executive Mayor of the City to stop the closure of these two clinics in Rocklands and Eastridge.
Both the Rocklands and the Eastridge Clinics provide essential services to the community ranging from Child Health, Family Planning, HIV testing, Cancer screening and general TB inter alia. More importantly, the facilities have also provided Covid screening, and we are still in the midst of a pandemic.
It is alleged that the closing date for the clinics are June 2022. However, the Khayelitsha Mitchell’s Plain and Greater Blue Downs Area Integrated Development Plan Volume 3 – page 15 – identifies the Rocklands Clinic as one of the facilities to be upgraded and not shut down. We have already seen the closure of libraries in the past weeks, and further closure of other community service delivery centres are in the Plan as the City already indicated budget cuts over the next financial year.
In an area of less than 5km² and a population hovering about the 75,000 mark, one would think that more and improved service delivery would be the City’s priority. Instead, plans were leaked for the closure of the Rocklands and Eastridge Clinics in Mitchell’s Plain.
Additionally, there has been no public participation in this process. This demonstrates the total disregard for the people of Mitchell’s Plain. Many residents have been hard hit by the Covid pandemic over the past two years. Many people are struggling to put food on the table. Now the DA-run government wants to close two service centres in their areas, which means that residents will have to spend more money, that they don’t have, on transport to access their basic healthcare needs. Other residents with no taxi fare, due to high unemployment in the area, will have to walk far distances to access these services, and many will fall victim to crime.
Cape Town Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, in his inaugural speech made assurances to the people of Cape Town that he would focus on service delivery for all residents of Cape Town. Yet it seems as if communities that are already struggling will have to face more service delivery cuts.
In the face of these service delivery cuts, GOOD was asked to assist the residents and stop the DA government from pushing ahead with the closure of these clinics. On behalf of the communities, GOOD will present a petition to the City of Cape Town to prevent the shut down of the two essential facilities in Mitchell’s Plain.
Mayor Hill-Lewis must explain to the people of Mitchell’s Plain why he is reneging on his commitment to provide better services and not to cut them. We look forward to the DA administration’s response to our petition.
Media enquiries:
Saul Markgraff, GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor
Cell: 0814262120
Email: retirewithpassion@gmail.com
Samkelo Mgobozi, GOOD: Media Manager
Cell: 0792315977 (whatsapp)/0829684021 (calls)
Email: samm@forgood.org.za